SHE MAY not see eye to eye with the PWD Minister. That, however, isn?t keeping Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma from bestowing developmental largesse on Kailash Vijayvargiya?s constituency.

SHE MAY not see eye to eye with the PWD Minister. That, however, isn’t keeping Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma from bestowing developmental largesse on Kailash Vijayvargiya’s constituency.

Just last Friday, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) ordered waterworks projects worth Rs 33.11 lakh in Nanda Nagar in Assembly segment 2 represented by Vijayvargiya - overlooking the claims of dozens of localities with a far more serious water shortage.

The works were commissioned under a HUDCO-financed Rs 16.22 crore scheme for redevelopment and environment improvement of Nanda Nagar - home, among others, to Vijayvargiya, City BJP chief Ramesh Mendola and MiC member Chandu Shinde. Both Sharma and Shinde are die-hard Vijayvargiya supporters.

The latter even spearheaded a campaign to oust former Municipal Commissioner P Narhari, perceived, as being close to the Mayor, a camp follower of Indore MP and Vijayvargiya rival, Sumitra Mahajan.

A lot of water has, however, flowed under the Saraswati since Narhari’s exit and the Mayor seems to have decided to let bygones be bygones.

A sum of Rs 5 crore has been allocated in the FY ’07 budget for sprucing up the VIP neighbourhood, reportedly despite misgivings by certain key members of the Mayor-in-Council.

And such is the Corporation’s eagerness to keep influential Nanda Nagar residents in good humour that it has commissioned the waterworks project even though previous payments amounting to nearly Rs 1 crore are still pending.

The issue of Nanda Nagar contractors going unpaid has been repeatedly taken up by the media, and the issue was even raised during the general council budget meet on May 16.

Two groups of tenders have been ordered for streamlining Nanda Nagar water supply. The first group consists of two bids for connecting 400, 300 and 200 mm diameter pipes laid previously to supply mains and installing a valve worth Rs 7.42 lakh and another one for construction of MS specials amounting to Rs 17.90 lakh.

The second tender has been floated for cutting and welding 100 mm to 400 mm diameter MS pipes. The tenders have been invited by the Office of the Executive Engineer, Maintenance Division No II, Musakhedi, and the last date for submitting bids is June 9, 2006.